Adjustable shelf in combination with refrigerator compartment



Och 27, l942- w. A. ELLswoR'rH Erm. 2,299,885

v ADJUSTABLE SHELF *IN `COMBINATION WITHREFRIGERATOR COMPARTMENT FiledApril 18, 1941 zvsheets-sheet 1y I4 30E B15 @J 07s if hn @fj @I ffwnuwnuuulr y me/wko@ WALTER A. ELLSWORTH DHN E, MILLS L FIG. '2.' Y

' Oct. 27, 1942 w. A. ELLswoRTH ETAL r'2,299,885

ADJUSTABLE SHELF IN COMBINATION WITH REFRGERATOR COMPARTMENT Filed April18, 1941 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WALTER A. ELLswoRTH JOHN EL MILLS for holdingarticles Patented ct. 27, 1.942

ADJUSTABLE SHELF IN COMBINATION WITH REFRIGERATOR COMPARTMENT Walter A.Ellsworth and John E.v Mills, st. raum, Minn., assignors toSeeger-Refrigerator Company, St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of MinnesotaApplication April 18, 1941, )serial No. 389,212 7 claims.. (ci.zii-.153)

Our invention relates to refrigerator compartments and compartments o fa like nature, Where it is desired to provide shelves Within the same lin the refrigerator compartment. A

A feature resides in providing a telescopingA or extendable `wire shelfwhichI operates extended across the refrigerator compartment YratherAthan from front to back like other shelves have been made heretofore.l'l With a `shelf made in Y this manner, the` combination of therefrigerator compartment and shelfgprovides aclear space from-the frontto theback of the refrigerator which may be used when the shelf istelescoped together, either partially or entirely, to provide a spacefor various articles, such as bottles, or larger articles which wouldordinarily not go under the shelf.

In using a shelf of this character in combination with a refrigeratorcompartment, ordinarily this form of shelf is placed adjacent or justabove the bottom of the refrigerator compartment. Then when it `isdesired to utilize more'space from the floor of the refrigeratorcompartment up'toward the top, `it is only necessary to slide: a portionof the telescoping shelf into the xed portion, thereby providing a clearspace from the front to the back in the refrigerator compartment. Thisfeature is important in our invention and will be more fully hereinafterset forth.'

It is also a feature of our invention to provide a refrigerator shelf`which is adapted to? be slid or telescoped together, a degree at atime, sothat a larger or smaller space can be made available for tallerarticles adjacent the end of the shelf.

Further, we providea refrigerator shelf wherein the respective shelfportions are moved into a position when the shelf is'fully extended sothat the top surface of the respective portions of the shelf are on thesame plane, thereby making the shelf completely level.

We provide a shelf wherein one portion thereof is Yfixed in therefrigerator compartment by means of connecting one end of the same tothe r supporting buttons on the side wall of the refrigeratorcompartment, -while the other end `is formed with a pair of supportinglegs, the bot"` tomend of which are covered with rubber shoes which restagainst the floor of the refrigerator compartment. The other portion" ofour shelf is' held slidable to t within thevxed portion and is alsoremovable therefrom and is provided with short lugs which hold the trayproperlyele-v `vated fromany surface upon which it is resting. Thisremovable vpi'irtion of the shelflmay be -u`.se :v

in any `suitable manner when entirely removed and 4may be employed onwhich to set hot pans or other` articles. r

These features, together with other details and objects will be morefully and clearly hereinafter set forth. r

In the drawings forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 illustrates a refrigerator showing our shelf in use in therefrigerator compartment thereof, the door of the refrigerator beingopen. Figure 2 is a front View of the refrigerator, a portion of therefrigerator being broken awayto show the refrigerator compartment andour shelf therein. Y'

Figure 3 is a cross-section on the line .1 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross-section similar to Figure 3, with the portions ofthe'shelf extended to their full width. y Y f i r x Figure 5 is aperspective detail of a ,portion of our shelf showing one of the legssupporting the free end of the fixed shelf. f

Figure 6 illustrates a cross-sectional detail in enlargedform, showingthe manner in which the removable portion 0f our shelf may be removed orinserted in place connected to the xed portion thereof. l

Figure 7 illustrates a perspective view of the removable portion of ourshelf` disengaged from the refrigerator compartment and resting upon thelugs? projecting from the bottom of the same. I

Figure 8 is an enlargeddetail of a portion of our shelf, showing thepartstelescoped together. Figure 9 illustrates a corner detail of aportion of our shelf, showing one of the hooks which engage the rubberknobs which project from the side wall of the refrigerator compartmentto hold the fixed portion of the shelf in the refrigerator. Figure lO isa detail of a portion of our shelf, showing the manner in whi-ch therespective shelf portions are levelized with `their upper surfaces atthe same level.

The refrigeratorA may be of any form or construction and is providedwitha refrigeratorcompartment B which is Cooled by the refrigerating unit C.The refrigerator compartment `.i3 is formed with side walls It and H anda` oor portion I2. The compartment B may be closed by the doorD.

The refrigerator compartment B may be equipped with any number ofshelvesand We provideY an adjustable Wire shelf E whiohris composed oftwo portions, namely, a fixed portion I4 and a slidable and removableportion I5.`V

The fixed portion I4 of our shelf E is normally supported within therefrigerator compartment B in which the shelf E operates, so as toprovide a shelf portion which is normally fixed in place but which maybe removed when it is desired to clean the refrigerator compartment B.The shelf I4 is formed with a wire frame portion formed from a singlepiece of wire to form the front and back rails I6 connected on the fixedend adjacent the wall I by the rail Il, the free end of said shelf beingsupported by the legs I8. Thus the side rails I5, the fixed end Il, andthe legs I8 are all formed from a' single piece of wire bent to providea rectangular frame which is held by the legs I8 on the free end, andthe inner rail portion I'I is held by the hooks IS engaging over therubber bracket or button supports projecting into the compartment B fromthe wall 4wire shelf portion on which articles are adapted to rest inthe refrigerator compartment B.A The end extremities of the wires 22 arecut on a bevel and are slightlyV curved around the upper surface of therails I6l to which they are welded, thereby providing a smooth orfinished joint between the wires-22 and the side rails I6.

The upper ends of the legs 4I8 are connected by the cross wire 23 'whichprovides a cross rail on 'which the portion I5 of our shelf E slideswhen the portion I5 is telescoped into the shelf portion I4 asillustrated in the drawings.

We also provide track rails 24 which are connected tothe cross rail 23on one end and to the rear rail portion II of the shelf portion I4. Thetrack rails 24 are bent to be spaced `below the side rails I6 andthereby provide a space below the rails I5 for receiving the shelfportion I5 so that the same `may telescope into the shelf portion I4.

At the inner free end of the shelf portion I4, the rails 24 are bentwith an inclined upwardly extending cam surface 25 which acts to elevatethe shelf portion I5 when the same is extended so that the upper surfaceofthe shelf portions I4 and I5 is level, as illustrated in Figure l0.k

The shelf portion I5 is removable from the shelf portion I4 and isformed with a wire rail 26 formedof a single piece of wire, the ends ofwhich are welded together, said wire being bent into rectangularshape.,` Parallelly extending shelf wires 2'I are welded to the wire 26in the same manner as the wires 22 are welded to the railsII.

The shelf portion I5 may be formed in one form,-with four depending lugs28 which form short legs for supporting the shelf I5 on any surface whenit is removed from the portion I4 of the shelf Thus the shelf l5 may beused independent of the shelf portion I4 outside of the compartment B,when it is desiredto place hot pans, or anyother articles on the same,and which may then be placed in the refrigerator compartment'B byconnecting the shelf portion I5 with the portion I4.

, The shelf portion I5 may be formed with only two lugs 28 asillustrated in Figures 5, 6 and 8, which hold the shelf from normallybecoming disengaged from the shelf portion I4 as these lugs l28,'willstrike the cross rail 23, however, the portion I5 maybe removed from theportion I4 by lowering one side of theporticn VI5 Vas illustrated inFigure 6 and lifting the other side with the lugs 28 free of the rail23.

A feature resides in providing a shelf which may be adjusted as to widthacross the refrigerating compartment B of the refrigerator, so that anarrow space may be provided at the free edge of the shelf asillustrated in Figure 3, Where a series of bottles can be placed in thenarrow opening. It is important that the shelf portion I5 extend beyondthe free edge of the fixed portion I4 so as to provide as much shelfspace as possible up to the space where the bottles F are stored'in therefrigerator. Furthermore, when the shelf portion I5 is in the positionillustrated i in Figure, it is held against the bottom rail 24 `from thefront of the refrigerator completely through to the back Wall at thefree end of the shelf E.

While other adjustable shelves have been made heretofore with atelescoping action, these shelves have not been of the type illustratedherein, and do not provide va space from the front of the refrigeratorcompletely through to the back wall thereof.l It is this feature whichis of outstanding importance in our invention because it permits largerarticles to be placed in the refrigerator compartment adjacent the freeedge of the adjustable shelf and gives access to the same withoutdisturbing articles on the fixed portion of the shelf.

Furthermore, with our shelf construction, when larger articles areplaced at the free edge ofthe shelf, it is not necessary to disturb themwhen getting out articles placed on the main portion of the shelf E. Informer shelf constructions it has been necessaryv to remove the articlesfrom infront of the shelf before articles on the shelf are accessible.Wehave overcome these disadvantages with our refrigerator constructionwherein the free or adjustable end of our shelf is slidable away fromone of the side walls of the refrigerator rather than being slidableaway from the door opening, so that our shelf in combination with therefrigerator compartment, accomplishes and .provides the desired shelfand refrigerator construction.

We claim:

K 1. A shelf for a refrigerator compartment including a fixed sectionand a removable section, said removable section being slightly narrowerthan said fixed section, said fixed section being provided with a pairof legs mounted on the remote side thereof, a cross rail connecting theupper parts of said legs, said removable section being slidably mountedon said fixed section, said fixed section being provided with a pair oftrack rails, said track rails extending beneath and running parallel tothe front and rear of said first section, andivsaid removable sectionbeing adapted to slide beneath said fixed section by means of said trackrails.

2. A shelf comprising a fixed portion and a slidable portion, saidslidable section being slightly narrower .thansaid fixed section, saidfixed portion being provided with a pair of legs mounted on the remoteside thereof, said fixed f, portion having a cross rail connected tothe-up-v per part of said legs on which said slidable portion is adaptedto slide, said fixed portion being provided with a pair of track railsextending beneath and running parallel to the front and rear thereof bymeans of which said slidable section may telescope beneath said xedportion.

3. An extendible shelf comprising a fixed section and a slidablesection, said xed section having a pair of track rails extending beneathand running parallel to the front and rear of said fixed section, saidfixed section having a pair of supporting legs mounted on the remoteside thereof, a cross rail connecting the upper part of said legs, saidslidable section being adapted to slide on said cross rail to telescopebeneath said fixed section and to be held in place beneath said fixedsection by means of said track rails, said slidable section kbeingprovided with two pairs of lugs, one pair of said lugs providing a meansagainst accidental removal of said slidable section by engaging saidcross rail and said two pairs of lugs providing a means of supportingsaid slidable section entirely removed from said fixed section.

4. An extendible refrigerator shelf including a xed section and aremovable section, said removable section having a pair of dependinglugs, said xed section being provided witha pair of legs mounted on theremote side thereof, said fixed section including a cross rail, saidcross rail being adapted to connectsaid pair of legs and to provide ameans by`which said removable section may be telescoped beneath said xedsection, said pair of depending lugs on said removable section beingadapted to guard against accidental removal of said removable section byengaging said cross rail, and said 'removable section being adapted tobe entirely removed from said fixed section whenever so desired.

5. A refrigerator shelf comprising a xed section and a slidable section,said fixed section having a pair of track rails extending beneath andrunning parallel to the side rails of said fixed section, the remoteends of said track rails having an inclined upwardly extending camsurface, said fixed section having a pair of legs mounted on the remoteside thereof, a cross rail, said cross rail being adapted to connect theupper ends of said legs, said slidable section extending in a planesubstantially level to the top surface of said fixed section whenentirely extended from beneath said fixed section by means of the camsurface on said track rails, and said slidable section being adapted totelescope entirely beneath said fixed section and supported beneath saidfixed section by means of said track rails.

6. A shelf for a refrigerator cabinet comprising, a fixed section and aslidable section, said slidable section being adapted to be extendedoutwardly and transversely from beneath said fixed section, said fixedsection being provided with a pair of supporting legs mounted on theremote side thereof, said slidable section being provided with a pair oflugs, said fixed section having a cross rail connecting the upper partsof said legs, said lugs adapted to engage said cross rail to preventaccidental removal of said slidable section from said xed section, saidslidable section being adapted to slide entirely beneath said xedsection.

'7. A shelf for a refrigerator compartment comprising a xed section anda slidable section, said fixed section being provided with a pair ofsupporting legs mounted on the remote side thereof, a cross rail, saidcross rail connecting the upper parts of said legs, a pair of trackrails, said track rails extending beneath and running parallel to thefront and rear of said fixed section, said track rails having anupwardly extending cam surface at the front ends thereof, said slidablesection being adapted to slide entirely beneath said fixed section andto be held in place by means of said track rails, and said slidable`section being adapted to be extended transversely from beneath said xedsection over said cross rail and to lie in a plane substantially leveltothe top surface of said fixed section by meansof the upwardlyextending cam surface on said track rails.

WALTER A. ELLSWORTH. JOHN E. MILLS..

